Year of Impossible Goodbyes Paperback – 1 January 1993
by Sook Nyul Choi (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 134 ratings
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mother is forced to supervise a sock factory and Sookan herself must wear a uniform and attend a Japanese school.
Then the war ends. Out come the colorful Korean silks and bags of white rice. But Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea and once again the family is suppressed. Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to Americancontrolled South Korea.
Here is the incredible story of one family's love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.
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Reading age 8 - 12 years
Print length 176 pages
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Product description
From the Back Cover
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mother is forced to supervise a sock factory and Sookan herself must wear a uniform and attend a Japanese school.
Then the war ends. Out come the colorful Korean silks and bags of white rice. But Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea and once again the family is suppressed. Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to Americancontrolled South Korea.
Here is the incredible story of one family's love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.
About the Author
Sook Nyul Choi was born in Pyongyang, North Korea. As a young refugee during the Korean War, Choi learned to face injustice and cruelty with courage and determination. Choi's novels, which are based upon her own experiences, have enriched the lives of young people all over the world.Choi emigrated to the Unites States to pursue her college education. She graduated from Manhattanville College in 1962. Except for a brief period during which she worked in the business world, she taught in public and parochial schools in New York and Massachusetts for 20 years while raising her two daughters. Sook Nyul Choi is the author of Year of Impossible Goodbyes, a novel about 10-year-old Sookan and her life in Korea during the aftermath of World War II. It has been translated into Korean, French, Italian, and Japanese. It is an ALA Notable Book and has received many other honors as well.Choi also wrote Echoes of the White Giraffe, a sequel to Year of Impossible Goodbyes. Sookan, again the main character, is now 15 and a refugee growing up amidst the sorrows of the Korean War. Her story brings to life the time, place, and intense emotions of a people surrounded by turmoil and tragedy..
Product details
Publisher : Yearling Books; Reissue edition (1 January 1993)
Language : English
Paperback : 176 pages
Reading age : 8 - 12 years
Dimensions : 13.34 x 1.14 x 19.38 cmBest Sellers Rank: 454,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)347 in Children's Books on Violence
487 in Children's Historical Fiction on Military & Wars
530 in Exploring Asia for ChildrenCustomer Reviews:
4.5 out of 5 stars 134 ratings
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John
1.0 out of 5 stars 最悪の歴史，最悪の宣伝Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on 1 January 2010
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The first half of the book dealing with Korea under Japanese occupation is worth reading, but the second half of the book inaccurately depicts the U.S. as a free society protecting Koreans and the Russians as a totalitarian society attempting to colonize Korea. This view is simply false. The U.S. had no intention of protecting Koreans supporting a brutal totalitarian society in the South. Criticism of the North is justified but historically the Korean people were victimized on both sides of the border. If the author had been more honest about U.S. intentions and the South Korean military dictatorship the book would have been much better. Unfortunately, the author was not so honest so this book is not good for young readers who will get a very false version of history.
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tamapi-
5.0 out of 5 stars 1945年日本の敗戦直前から朝鮮戦争までの激動の時期に少女時代を過ごした作者の記憶Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on 17 April 2014
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明晰な知性と深い教養が感じられる文章です。すぐれた書だと思います。
1945年春。すでに日本軍の敗色の濃い朝鮮北部ピョンヤンの名家の娘。日本軍は朝鮮半島で土地、家、作物を有無を言わせず徴収し、軍用品の製造を強制し、住民をトラックで使役に徴用して連れ去り・・というように日本軍の横暴によって束縛され、飢えと困窮の生活を強いられているが「もうじき戦争は終わって自由な日々がくる。まもなく日本は立ち去る」と誰もが信じて苦難の日々を耐えている。
作者と弟は日本人小学校に通うことを強いられるが「天皇は神である。日本は神の国」とひたすら洗脳せんと唸り続ける校長や教師にうんざりし、耐えがたく思う日々。母は教える「神の国」などではなく、天皇はニンゲンであると。
両親は抗日運動の同志で、侵略戦争に反対する朋友と地下活動に投じて、韓国語の抗日新聞を発行するために満州に新聞社を作ったクリスチャン。
そして、まもなく日本の敗戦。民衆は歓喜で興奮するが、8月15日直後は、日本の敗残兵が武装をといていないため警戒してひそんでいる。そして徐々に、かって日本軍に占拠されていたもとの住居に落ち着き始めたところ・・・終戦前からすでに朝鮮に侵入していたソ連兵が、たちまち集落にやってきて、こんどは共産主義を洗脳。
あっと言う間に、ロシア赤軍と朝鮮共産党が一緒になって「資本主義は敵。共産主義以外は認めない」ような、あらゆる手段で強硬に洗脳。共産主義の同志を募り結束を固めるため、母なるロシアのポスター、唱歌・・赤教本で共産主義を洗脳する。一家は過酷な労働で自由もない。
終戦で喜んだのもつかのま。ピョンヤンの学校では共産主義の同志として洗脳教育され、母なるロシアを信奉する内容の授業だけ。
反逆者は銃殺で処刑され、見せしめに広場にはりつけの刑となる。密告の恐怖で、言動も昼夜の監視下におかれた一家は、はやくソウルに逃げることを計画する。ソウルには父親も3人の兄たちも無事に逃れている。
一家は、いつものように熱狂的な共産主義の集会を装った叔母と従弟の青年Kisaの犠牲のおかげで、未明に着の身着のままで38度線の逃亡を図る。
38度線の闇の逃亡が、ものすごくリアル。
死と隣り合わせの脱出。脱北を手引きするプロを頼んで決死で38度線を目指すが手配したプロはダブルエージェントで、脱北希望者からも共産軍からも、両方からあざとくせしめていた。あやうく北に密告され送還されるところで姉弟はのがれ、ロシア兵の厳重な警備のなか国境の鉄条網をくぐりぬけ、警備犬の間隙をぬって脱北になんとか成功。
母親と道中はぐれてしまうが、母親は、北朝鮮につかまって裏切り者として、シベリアに連行されるところを、運よくロシア兵の家政婦として国境にとどまり機を見て逃亡。濃霧の中で、北朝鮮が南にスパイを送るために作った秘密のトンネルに偶然にたどりつき、南へとのがれる。
家族は全員がソウルで再会し自由をえたのもつかの間、1950年6月朝鮮戦争が勃発。
南下するソ連軍と北朝鮮共産軍に中国共産軍が加わり38度線をソウルへと進撃。混乱のなか、脱北難民は大挙してソウルへと、そして我が家へとたどりついた。
のちに脱北を支援してくれた叔母と従弟のKisaは、幇助の罪で共産兵に銃殺されたことを一家は知る。
少女の視線で朝鮮半島の戦中、戦後の動乱の歴史を描いている。
英文は格調たかく、非常に流暢で文学性を帯びた文体。
日本、ロシア、中国、そして共産党・・帝国主義から解放されてつかの間、共産主義に束縛され、南へと、自由へと、逃れたい一心で、早く祖国を取り戻したいと念じる少女の叫びが聞こえる文章。
作者にとって祖国とは国土ではなく、韓国民族の文化である、国の歴史である・・・ということが文章の随所から読み取れる。
韓国が太古より受け継いできた伝統と民族性、韓国固有の学問。そういった民族の英知を大事に表現している作家だと思います。随所に韓国特有の民俗が感じられる。そこが、歴史的視点以外の、この書の魅力でもあり、作家の個性だと思います。
他の方のコメントにありますが。作家が、アメリカの民主主義礼賛について、さほどこだわっている表現には思いません。主義や政策とは無縁の作家ではないか？と思います。前半で多くのページをさいているように、韓国の文化に対する誇りを表現できる自由を欲している、他国の支配に蹂躙されずに韓国の文化を胸をはって表現したい。帝国主義にも共産主義にも洗脳されずに。それがアメリカに代弁される民主主義だととらえている・・そう感じました。わたしは、一読をお薦めします。
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별 5개 중 5.0개 1945년 일본의 패전 직전부터 조선전쟁까지의 격동 시기에 소녀시대를 보낸 작가의 기억
2014년 4월 17일 일본 🇯🇵에서 작성
확인된 구매
명백한 지성과 깊은 교양이 느껴지는 문장입니다. 뛰어난 책이라고 생각합니다.
1945년 봄. 이미 일본군의 패색이 짙은 조선북부 평양의 명가의 딸. 일본군은 한반도에서 토지, 집, 작물을 유무를 말하지 않고 징수하고, 군용품의 제조를 강제하고, 주민을 트럭으로 사역에 징용해 데리고 떠나… , 굶주림과 곤궁의 생활을 강요당하고 있지만 "벌써 전쟁은 끝나 자유로운 나날이 온다. 곧 일본은 떠난다"고 모두가 믿고 고난의 날들을 견디고 있다.
작자와 동생은 일본인 초등학교에 다니는 것을 강요받지만 「천황은 신이다. 일본은 신의 나라」라고 오로지 세뇌 헛소리를 계속 숙고하는 교장이나 교사에 지쳐, 견디고 싶은 날들. 어머니는 가르치는 「신의 나라」등이 아니고, 천황은 닌겐이라고.
부모는 항일운동의 동지로 침략전쟁에 반대하는 토모우와 지하활동에 던져 한국어 항일신문을 발행하기 위해 만주에 신문사를 만든 그리스도인.
그리고 곧 일본의 패전. 민중은 환희로 흥분하지만, 8월 15일 직후에는 일본의 패잔병이 무장을 잡고 있지 않기 때문에 경계하고 몰려 들고 있다. 그리고 서서히, 가서 일본군에 점거되고 있던 원래의 주거에 침착하기 시작했는데·· 종전 전부터 이미 조선에 침입하고 있던 소련병이, 금세 마을에 와서, 이번은 공산주의를 세뇌.
순식간에, 러시아 적군과 조선 공산당이 함께 되어 「자본주의는 적.공산주의 이외는 인정하지 않는다」같은, 모든 수단으로 강경하게 세뇌. 공산주의 동지를 모집해 결속을 굳히기 위해 어머니 러시아 포스터, 노래··적교본에서 공산주의를 세뇌한다. 일가는 가혹한 노동으로 자유도 없다.
종전에서 기뻐한 것도 츠카마. 평양의 학교에서는 공산주의 동지로 세뇌교육되어 어머니 러시아를 신봉하는 내용의 수업만.
반역자는 총살로 처형되고, 보이게 광장에 십자가형이 된다. 밀고의 공포로, 언동도 밤낮의 감시하에 놓인 일가는, 빨리 서울에 도망치는 것을 계획한다. 서울에는 아버지도 3명의 형들도 무사히 도망치고 있다.
일가는 평소처럼 열광적인 공산주의 집회를 가장한 이모와 종제의 청년 Kisa의 희생 덕분에, 미명하게 입는 옷 입은 채로 38도선의 도망을 도모한다.
38도선의 어둠의 도망이, 굉장히 리얼.
죽음과 이웃의 탈출. 탈북을 안내하는 프로를 부탁해 결사로 38도선을 목표로 하지만 준비한 프로는 더블 에이전트로, 탈북 희망자로부터도 공산군으로부터도, 양쪽 모두에서 멍하니 하고 있었다. 겨우 북쪽으로 밀고 송환되는 곳에서 자매는 빠져 러시아병의 엄중한 경비 속 국경의 철조망을 빠져나가 경비견의 틈을 닦아 탈북에 어떻게든 성공.
어머니와 도중은 빠져 버리지만, 어머니는 북한에 붙잡고 배신자로서 시베리아에 연행되는 곳을 운좋게 러시아병의 가정부로서 국경에 머물러기를 보고 도망. 진한 안개 속에서 북한이 남쪽으로 간첩을 보내기 위해 만든 비밀 터널을 우연히 따라다니며 남쪽으로 빠진다.
가족은 전원이 서울에서 재회하고 자유를 얻은 것도 잠시 동안 1950년 6월 조선전쟁이 발발.
남하하는 소련군과 북한 공산군에 중국 공산군이 더해져 38도선을 서울로 진격. 혼란 속에서 탈북난민은 대거 서울로, 그리고 우리 집으로 향했다.
나중에 탈북을 지원해 준 이모와 종제인 키사는 황조의 죄로 공산병에게 총살된 것을 일가는 알게 된다.
소녀의 시선으로 한반도의 전중, 전후의 동란의 역사를 그리고 있다.
영문은 격조하고 매우 유창하고 문학성을 띠는 문체.
일본, 러시아, 중국, 그리고 공산당··제국주의로부터 해방되어 잠시 동안 공산주의에 속박되어 남쪽으로, 자유롭게, 도망치고 싶은 일심으로, 빨리 조국을 되찾고 싶다고 생각하는 소녀의 외침이 들리는 문장 .
작자에게 조국이란 국토가 아니라 한국 민족의 문화인 나라의 역사이다.
한국이 태고보다 이어온 전통과 민족성, 한국 고유의 학문. 그런 민족의 영지를 소중히 표현하고 있는 작가라고 생각합니다. 곳곳에 한국 특유의 민속이 느껴진다. 거기가 역사적 관점 이외의 이 책의 매력이기도 하며 작가의 개성이라고 생각합니다.
다른 쪽의 코멘트에 있습니다만. 작가가, 미국의 민주주의 예찬에 대해, 그다지 고집하고 있는 표현에는 생각하지 않습니다. 주의나 정책과는 무연한 작가가 아닌가? 라고 생각합니다. 전반에 많은 페이지를 찍고 있듯이 한국 문화에 대한 자부심을 표현할 수 있는 자유를 갖고 있는 다른 나라의 지배에 유린되지 않고 한국 문화를 가슴 속으로 표현하고 싶다. 제국주의에도 공산주의에도 세뇌되지 않고. 그것이 미국으로 대변되는 민주주의라고 파악하고 있다··그렇게 느꼈습니다. 저는 독서를 추천합니다.
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Lou
5.0 out of 5 stars An honest autobiographical account of what this young girl lived through in North Korea.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 11 October 2016
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This story is so heart wrenching. The trials of this young, curious, determined girl are beyond what any human should bear, let alone a child. It is just one heartache after another, and as a reader, I felt like I was losing my breath. The young protagonist is able to befriend different individuals who help her on her way to Seoul and freedom. To those older or who have been through times like this, these fleeting friendships point to the inconsistencies of war. This book reads as a true adventure, nonstop action, bravery, and moxie. However, especially in a time where many students have a parent or both parents away fighting and already endure the news and reality of being left behind, this book may be too intense for younger readers, as it is not necessarily a happy ending. It is autobiographical and as real as a telling of war can get. The brutality may be a bit much for younger readers to absorb and/or deal with. Would depend on the makeup of the class whether this would be included or not.
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Astrid
4.0 out of 5 stars The ending is happy and also not happyReviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 20 January 2016
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The book gives a clear picture of how the days in North Korea were when the Japanese and Russians were the boss. You understand how and why the people in North Korea think and follow the leaders. It is not a very exciting book, although it nudges you to read on to see if the children see their mother and father and brothers again. The ending is happy and also not happy, you keep on thinking about the people who stayed behind and who have died.
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Maryam Wahab
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Historical AccountReviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 17 December 2019
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This is a work of fiction, from the point of view of a young Korean girl, who is shunned and degraded by the Japanese and poisoned and brainwashed by the Russians.
This book is excellent for young readers, but the writing style might be too childish for older readers
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===
Sook Nyul Choi
3.88
2,443 ratings250 reviews
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mother is forced to supervise a sock factory and Sookan herself must wear a uniform and attend a Japanese school.
Then the war ends. Out come the colorful Korean silks and bags of white rice. But Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea and once again the family is suppressed. Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to American-controlled South Korea.
Here is the incredible story of one family's love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.
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Genres
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Fiction
Historical
War
Middle Grade
Asia
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176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Sook Nyul Choi
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From the days of her childhood, Sook Nyul Choi wanted to be a writer. The first stories, poems, and articles she wrote were in Korean, her first language. Later, after teaching for many years in New York City schools, she began to write in English.
Sook Nyul Choi writes both for children and for young adults. Her own experiences in Korea help to shape her books. One of her main goals is to help young Americans learn about the culture and history of Korea.
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I have read this book more than once in middle school and high school. There are few things more impactful than a first hand account of courage and resilience in the wake of oppression. The prose is simple, yet hauntingly profound. Absolutely worth a read.
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January 28, 2016
Eh... A short, good, rather historical fiction type of story, because this had happened to many people, including the author, Sook Nyul Choi. I enjoyed the story, but I really didn't like how Sookan always cries, (but I probably would too, given if I were in that situation.) : )
P.S. Sookan looks just a little bit like Albert, don't you guys think so?
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Irene McHugh
573 reviews
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December 31, 2015
If I could give this novel more than five stars, I would! I can’t believe how long it has taken me to read this distressing, but uplifting piece of historical fiction that reminds me of how precious freedom is.
Years ago, students had enthusiastically recommended this book to me. Middle school students. Enthused about historical fiction. I took note. I remember the students telling me that they couldn’t tell me too much without ruining the story and I remember writing the book title down.
Now this occurred around the year 2000. Before I was on Goodreads. I had a binder system of book lists, articles, notes, post-its. A fine collection of paper napkins covered with ink-smeared writing of book titles and author names. A truly official and highly organized system of chaos.
When I started cataloguing online all of my reading, I was so relieved. My one mistake was glancing through my “to-be-read” binder too quickly. I overlooked and dismissed too many books.
The group of children who were such fans of this Korean’s family struggle at the end of WWII happen to be among some of my favorite children I’ve taught over the years. They liked reading, but were particular about what books they would recommend whole-heartedly. I never forgot how passionately they talked about this story.
Several years ago I heard about Escape from Camp 14 on one of my favorite podcasts Books on the Nightstand. I listened to that audiobook and my memory of this historical fiction recommendation was jarred. The problem was that I could not remember the title except for the words impossible and goodbye.
Luckily, those key words lead me to Sook Nyul Choi’s beautifully crafted story. Once I purchased a copy of the book, it sat on my bookshelf for a few years. At 170 pages, I felt like I could read this novel in a weekend…easily. And I finally have.
The story opens in Korea as WWII is winding down. Sookan and several members of her family live outside of Pyongyang in fear of the Japanese. The first half of the book records their constant fear in managing the sock factory for Captain Narita, the Japanese officer who represents the Japanese Empire and Our Heavenly Emperor.
Any wrong word could cause the family to be separated. Special punishments would be devised to break their spirit. Food rations would disappear. Food distributed might be a bag of rice half-filled with sand.
One of the most heart-breaking scenes is one of the first impossible goodbyes. Sookan and her cousin Kisa have special bonds with the sock girls, the girls who work in the factory Sookan’s mother manages. Captain Narita arrives to take the sock girls away to the front lines where they will be comfort women who will give the soldiers special spirit to fight. Stomach-turning.
When Japan surrenders, the Russians arrive in Northern Korea, and they know just how to indoctrinate the terrified Koreans. Mother and Aunt Tiger are rightfully skeptical, but Sookan reacts positively to the friendly Russians with their festivities, songs, and huge meals.
Not until she experiences the daily labor of a proletariat does Sookan realize that her country has traded one captor for another. Her family learns of the 38th Parallel too late. If they are to plan an escape to the South, they will need to be extra careful.
The last third of the book chronicles how the family faces the decisions about whether or not to try to flee. The resolution gives a solid account of what happens to every character, a decision by the author that would endear her to middle school students who are not fond of ambiguous endings. While there are numerous impossible goodbyes in this story, the overall message about the perseverance of the human spirit is worthwhile and uplifting.
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Roxanne Russell
373 reviews
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May 27, 2018
This is the first book that my daughter has ever insisted I read. She read it for school this year.
It is a young adult historical fiction story of a Pyongyang family experiencing Japanese occupation during World War II and then the devastation of realizing they are not free when the Japanese are defeated.
I have never been exposed to a story about this period of time in Korea before. My education- which included a focus on history- only ever covered the US and European countries. What a regrettable gap. I'm glad to know this is in my daughter's curriculum.
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Spriya
197 reviews
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June 14, 2020
Absolutely stunning. Period.
The writing transported YOU back to Sookan's life, and it just highlighted the atrocities the Japanese committed in Korea. Every time I re-read this book, I was so grateful I didn't live during this time.
It's astonishing how many times I've read this book as a kid, and cried every single time.
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Brian Ham
25 reviews
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February 11, 2016
Well, that was a bummer.
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Dani
55 reviews
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July 30, 2022
This book had me in tears at the end of every chapter.
This story is about a 10 year old girl named Sookan and her family having to endure and face the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea.
Once the war is over, Communist Russian troops take control over North Korea. Sookan and her family find themselves suppressed once again. They know their only hope to freedom lies in an escape to South Korea.
Just like the title of the book there were many sad goodbyes Sookan had to experience as a 10 year old who is simply trying to survive and escape the current situation she is dealt with for a better life. I was surprised this is categorized as a middle grade book, but one that I think everyone should read. I will be thinking about this book for a long time and one of my favorite reads of this year.
5/5 ⭐️
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Roxanne Coopchiak
2 reviews
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December 2, 2017
I think this book, is pretty emotional, I know the author wants to share how her childhood was and it's history but while I was reading this book I kept asking "Why? why? why?". This book is way to sad, but I really love interesting stories like this. I also wonder why the Russians, Japanese and Chinese love having war in Korea. It's getting to much for them to keep struggling for food and drinks.
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Kim
169 reviews
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August 2, 2022
This book is required summer reading for my rising 8th grader. It was intense, at times, but I found the book incredible. I had no understanding of the harsh and cruel way the Koreans were treated by the Japanese in WWII and subsequently by the Russians. It was eye-opening and while this is a book geared towards Middle-Schoolers, it definitely made me want to read more about this time period.
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arianalovesoscarwilde
8 reviews
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January 7, 2023
I think even though this book is recommended for children, it was a good story. It really put my life into perspective I learned more about history in this short book than in my whole semester of world history. Love that.
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Soojin
184 reviews
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January 29, 2023
i remember reading this in elementary school but i couldn't remember the title. after hours of searching i FINALLY found it. :')
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Jodi
1,770 reviews
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August 6, 2019
Very good book and the characters are very well-developed for a children's book. I simply devoured it. I do not know much about Korea so it was interesting to read about the time period of World War II and the division of this country into North Korea and South Korea. So sad!
8/5/2019: I picked this book up again because I couldn't remember if I had read it or not. As soon as I started reading I did remember it and the sock girls. Such horrible treatment of the Korean people. I was so glad Sookan was able to escape with her family to the south.
As an elementary school teacher, I was rattled this time by how horribly the children were treated at school. They were belittled, and physically abused. They also learned nothing academic - they were simply being taught to rattle of the political agenda of the Japanese and to make weapons. I was shocked the little girls weren't even allowed to use the bathroom, and several had accidents while at school so sad.
I remember that the sock girls were sent away by the Japanese to help in the war efforts but it didn't strike me what their true purpose was until this reading. "Comfort girls" became sexual slaves to the Japanese soldiers. So sad and so deep for a children's book.
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Woojae
20 reviews
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November 25, 2008
This book is about a family's life in Korea during the Korean War (Known as the 6.25 war in Korea) The family lives through the Japanese occupation to the Korean war and during the occupation they live in a village in the part of North Korea. Sookan the sister of the family is brave and protects her younger brother. There father is in Manchuria for Japanese-resistant movement and there three older brothers are camped in the labor camp of Japan.
After the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders and the Pacific war ends. The family now is happy and dreams a better life. However, there dream is suppressed by the communist Russia controlling North Korea.
There only hope is there escape to American-controlled South Korea. Sookan, bravely take cares of her brother and successfully escapes to South Korea.
In 25 of June 4 AM, North Korea invades South Korea.
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M.M. Strawberry Library & Reviews
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July 29, 2017
Many atrocities were committed during World War 2 by the Japanese, Germans, and Italians against other groups. In this book, it focuses on a Japan-dominated Korea as told in the POV of a young teenage girl. Her father and older brothers have been carted off to contribute to the cause.
While it's obvious that unpleasant things happen in this book, it avoids graphic detail that would be inappropriate for children, and presents the reality of war at an age-appropriate level, and has a lot of little details to make the story more real, such as the Japanese school program and the indoctrination they force upon the students to make them accept Japanese leadership. Overall a very good book, and while geared for an younger audience, is still worth reading.
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Rachel
1,004 reviews
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May 27, 2008
For me personally, I respect this book for introducing an oft-overlooked portion of World War II and the years beyond- Korea's occupation by Japan and ultimately America and Russia splitting the country in two. After a dreary existance under the Japanese, young protagonist Sookan falls under the influence of the communist Russians and must escape with her family to the south. Underneath all of the specifics is a formula story about escaping oppression and coming of age, but it was told so beautifully. I was captivated.
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Blythie Colvin
7 reviews
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April 15, 2010
OMYGOSH BEST BOOK EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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YOU MUST READ
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Eddie Hahm
9 reviews
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February 11, 2016
It wasn't the best book because the action in the story happened too fast like the author just dumped all the events together. So the tension was there but there wasn't a lot of tension. But it had an interesting setting and plot that caught my attention.
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Parker M.
6 reviews
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December 13, 2009
this was a very good story obout the koren war and what a tipical family went through. although the torture is bad and i hate it!!!
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Victoria
4 reviews
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September 26, 2010
It was...
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Jason Kim
14 reviews
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February 12, 2016
I just didn't really like it
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Hannah ♡
107 reviews
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February 14, 2016
Amazing book but not as emotional as many other Korean War memoirs I've read before.
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Heesung Tae
1 review
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August 13, 2017
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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Joseph
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May 12, 2020
In Year of Impossible Goodbyes, Author Sook Nyul Choi recounts the events of her and her family's life in 1945 when her homeland of Korea is freed by from the cruel and sadistic rule of Imperial Japan, only to be conquered by Stalin's Soviet Russia. Without giving away more than is on the back sleeve of the book, they find their only hope of freedom is to flee to the newly formed South Korea.
It is a relatively quick read, but an important one for a time like now when people, many of whom were alive during the Cold War, already already seem to forget so much of this kind of history. Told from the perspective of her 10-year-old self, Sook Nyul Choi recounts these events framed like a standard novel. At times, because of this, some of the villains come across as a bit one-dimensional. After all, a 10-year-old isn't going to know the life story and inner conflicts of a cruel, seemingly sociopathic Japanese military officer. of course, this isn't always even a shortcoming. History is sometimes more cartoonish than fiction. Soviet propaganda from this era really could be as ham-fisted as this book makes it out to be.
As a work of first-hand historical narrative, Sook Nyul Choi's perspective as a child can in some ways be refreshing, as it does not attempt to try to look for nuances (nuances which sometimes do not even exist). It's relatively straightforward and makes sense to students of history: as they did in many places, the Soviets initially won over the townspeople by being friendly, allowing them to embrace their national pride, and feeding them (and thereby doing the exact opposite of their more upfront Japanese oppressors). And in this backdrop, we are reminded that once they got a foothold, they would also kill people who were wise to their plans and tried to the South. Because that is the kind of system that communism is. It is a virus, not an oncoming freight train.
This book isn't Shakespeare, and at times some of the details may go beyond what is needed to get the point across. But there are worse things.
Overall, it is a worthy read to get a glimpse at a pivotal time in modern world history, from a perspective we don't often get, in a way that makes for a satisfying story.
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Hafee
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June 2, 2017
Bello Hafeez
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May 30,2017
Goodreads review: Year of Impossible Goodbyes
The novel years of impossible goodbyes took place in korea in 1945. During the Korean War (Known as the 6.25 war in Korea). There is a particular family whose life is devastating during the war because of the fact that her father is one of the soldiers who fought with the Resistance Movement in Manchuria. In this movement, the Japanese military took over Korea.
This is how my social justice issue, Colonization is related to my book. Colonization is the action or process of higher setting among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. The Japanese, Russian and Korean military were fighting for the colonization of each other’s country’s/government. Sookan’s family started to split apart because her father took part in the war, her brothers went to labour camps and she and her mother were working in factory that produces socks. Meanwhile Korea was able to win the war of colonization between the Japanese military,not a short amount of time Korea was taken over by the communist Russian .
Her name is Sookan and is regarded to be the main character of the novel. Sookan currently lives with her mother at the young age of 10 while World War 2 is going on. She also has 3 brothers, who split apart because of the war, Sookan’s world began to tear apart.
I think this novel is a good novel because it teaches us what it feels like to be taken over by a different country and to live by their strict rules and regulations. This is also a story that happened many years ago and was linked to world war 2. I regard this book to be read by young kids, why? Because they are the one who could make change in this world (young generation).
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Seungmyoung
12 reviews
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August 13, 2018
Relieved to see Inchun and Sookan escaping North Korea and arriving at the Red Cross medical center, I finished reading this wonderful book that shows the tragedy of Koreans in the time of Koreans under Japanese rule like a short movie. It was so detailed and easy to understand that I could draw images of every scenes in my brain and felt like all of the characters are really moving and talking in my head. I have learned from Elementary school history class that Japanese rules and their leaders made Koreans suffer a lot but it wasn't as shocking as I felt after I read this book. As a student, I felt so mad when Japanese teachers forced Koreans to sing Japanese songs, not speak Korean, and even not to share their food with others at school. I can know how much brave Sookan and Inchun is even though they are much younger than I am by looking at their process of escaping-they relied on each other and were brave even though they lost their guide and mom. If I was in that situation, I would just go back to my home or just give up escaping with the sorrow that I lost my mom, who is the most of my life. When Sookan and Inchun bravely decided to cross the wire fence and ran only with the belief that their mom will be waiting for them made my tears fall down and to regret fighting with my brother and not obeying my mom's messages. I highly recommend every teen in Korea to read this book since it is not just about learning history; it is about reflecting yourself and learning how to be thankful for now.
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Peter A
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August 15, 2021
A story of a ten-year-old girl, Sookan, who grew up under Japanese occupation of Korea, near Pyongyang (currently North Korea). The story depicts life at the end of the Japanese occupation (June to August 1945) and the beginning of the Russian occupation (late August 1945 to the end of 1946), how Sookan (and other Koreans) adjusted to the cruelty of one occupier, had a sense of freedom, only to be controlled by another occupier. It also shows the beginning of the North Korean state and its underlying society.
While Sookan and her mother, brother, aunt and other relative seek to survive both oppressors, they also long to be reunited with Sookan’s father (who was away in Manchuria fighting the Japanese) and her three brothers, who were sent to Japanese labor camps.
The last scenes of the book describe the flight of Sookan, her brother, and mother from North Korea, and the harrowing challenges they faced.
FB. A short novel relating the experiences of the end of Japanese occupation in 1945 and the beginning of the Russian occupation from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl, Sookan, living near Pyongyang Korea. Sookan’s experience mirrors those of others, with the separation of family and escape from the north to the south in 1946.
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Cheryl
1,041 reviews
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April 12, 2019
This book took me a while to get through, in part because it was in my "waiting" bag, to read while I waited for the doctor or in the check-out line and I had not had to wait. It was also hard to read in large chunks because the subject matter is heavy. The author recounts her actual experiences of a particularly difficult childhood. I will say that I have a much clearer understanding of North Korea now. The Japanese occupied North Korea from 1909 to 1936 in an increasingly brutal regime. When the Japanese lost World War II and left North Korea, the Allies had decided to divide North Korea from South Korea at the 38th Parallel and give Russia control of North Korea. The Russians were apparently more benevolent than the Japanese to begin with, but the situation quickly soured and people were trapped. The succession of brainwashing and brutality broke the spirit of most of the population and did not make for the most cheerful reading, although I felt it was an important book.
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Jewon Park
1 review
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August 12, 2018
The overall story strongly showed the value of freedom to the Koreans and also to the world. The book "Year of Impossible Goodbyes", kindly guides the readers through the Japanese & Russian occupations on the Korean territory. As one of the Korean race, I know the importance of reminding and informing the serious tragedy of our war history to the world. Therefore so thankful to the author who had bravely described the Korean history and published to the world.
The story is about a North Korean family escaping to the South while the Russian occupation. The one major character in this book is named, "Sookan". I was surprised by her mature behavior to every situations during escaping at her young age. After I finished the book, I was amazed to know that this book was based on the author's "True" story.
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Rebecca P
7 reviews
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October 9, 2022
A beautiful memoir that would be appropriate for readers as young as 10 or 11. It has some more mature themes: oppression, family separation, suggestions of violence. Older readers will realize there is talk of torture and sex, but a younger reader wouldn't make those inferences, most probably. Sook Nyul Choi really takes us into her life and also her fear and her bravery during the end of World War II in Korea. I've read this book two or three times now, and I will definitely read it again in the future. This is where I first learned of Korean history outside my American textbooks, and this memoir continues to inspire me to learn more about Korean history and to read more perspectives about world events.
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Nancy
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August 3, 2017
Year of Impossible Goodbyes / Sook Nyul Choi. A young adult book about a North Korean family. The time is 1945, near the end of the Japanese occupation and at the beginning of the Communist takeover. Narrated by a girl ten or so years old, it is a tale of love, resistance, fear, and determination. The family endures through loyalty and courage. There are authentic scenes of coercion, bullying, and terror. The mother and the girl are strong protagonists. Despite considerable deprivation, there is also joy, pride and gratitude. Excellent historical fiction and cultural depiction transcended by its universal application.
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BUY THIS BOOK
Year of Impossible Goodbyes
Sook Nyul Choi. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $16.99 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-395-57419-5
In 1945, 10-year-old Sookan's homeland of North Korea is occupied by the Japanese. Left behind while her resistance-fighter father hides in Manchuria and her older brothers toil in Japanese labor camps, Sookan and her remaining family members run a sock factory for the war effort, bolstered only by the dream that the fighting will soon cease. Sookan watches her people--forced to renounce their native ways--become increasingly angry and humiliated. When war's end brings only a new type of domination--from the Russian communists--Sookan and her younger brother must make a harrowing escape across the 38th parallel after their mother has been detained at a Russian checkpoint. Drawn partly from Choi's own experiences, her debut novel is a sensitive and honest portrayal of amazing courage. In clear, graceful prose, she describes a sad period of history that is astonishing in its horror and heart-wrenching in its truth. Readers cannot fail to be uplifted by this account of the triumph of the human spirit in an unjust world. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)DETAILSshare
BUY THIS BOOK
Year of Impossible Goodbyes
Sook Nyul Choi. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $16.99 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-395-57419-5
In 1945, 10-year-old Sookan's homeland of North Korea is occupied by the Japanese. Left behind while her resistance-fighter father hides in Manchuria and her older brothers toil in Japanese labor camps, Sookan and her remaining family members run a sock factory for the war effort, bolstered only by the dream that the fighting will soon cease. Sookan watches her people--forced to renounce their native ways--become increasingly angry and humiliated. When war's end brings only a new type of domination--from the Russian communists--Sookan and her younger brother must make a harrowing escape across the 38th parallel after their mother has been detained at a Russian checkpoint. Drawn partly from Choi's own experiences, her debut novel is a sensitive and honest portrayal of amazing courage. In clear, graceful prose, she describes a sad period of history that is astonishing in its horror and heart-wrenching in its truth. Readers cannot fail to be uplifted by this account of the triumph of the human spirit in an unjust world. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)DETAILSshare
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